Danath and Alleria
by Moril known before as Delyon
Summary: What happens between Danath and Alleria during the Tides of Darkness.
1. Meeting

Danath and Alleria

By Sir Captain Delyon

            Alleria felt an intruder in the air. The very air smelled of an entity neither elf nor animal, the only things to live in this wood. This was also not the hated stench of Orc. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and fitted it to her bow.

            Orcish throwing-axes pounded against the heavy armor of Danath. He drew his sword and leaped from the bushes. This seasoned fighter would never run from a battle, even with a group of Berserkers, the feared breed of Troll, created in darkness and set loose to destroy all light. Danath ran toward the first one and began to swing his sword. Had this Troll been a simple soldier instead of the warrior of filth it was, Danath would have run into battle without qualms, but the Berserker strain could be deadly. He brought his sword down on the Troll's body, and then watched as the grievous wound healed itself. These horrible legions had apparently undergone Regeneration Engineering. Danath ran into the forest, not knowing that what he found there would be equally dangerous, but very different.

            The Berserker captain, Lon'akat, ordered a retreat of his army. He, unlike Danath, knew what lurked in the Dark Wood.

            Alleria walked stealthily toward the scent of the trespasser. Ten black-caped escorts dropped out of the trees and drew arrows. Although the Dark Wood spanned miles, not a branch fell without the Forest Guard knowing it. A blue-armored figure ran noisily toward the elves.

            "Stop!" Alleria commanded. She now spoke to Danath. "What brings an Alliance soldier into the territory of the Forest Guard?"

            "I am Colonel Danath of the Alliance. I was under attack by Berserkers. I ran into the wood hoping I would find safety." Danath replied.

            "Safety is something you will not find here." Alleria returned. "However, we will grand you lodging for a time. I know the Berserkers only too well."

            "Thank you. We in the Alliance have heard much of the Forest Guard, but we have never known of your location."

            "We intended it to be that way. I am Alleria, chief Ranger of the Forest Guard. You will not exercise any authority over me or over any of my Archers. Is that understood?"

            Danath nodded.

            "Good. Your area will be up there." She pointed to the nearest tree. Danath looked up. He could barely see the small wooden structure in the limbs of the elm.

            "I'm not afraid." he said.

            "Afraid?" asked Alleria, puzzled.

            "Step aside. I'll settle in up there."

            The fighter climbed the tree, but even after dark he did not sleep. Some said Danath never slept, that he was always alert and ready for combat. This myth held true tonight.

            Alleria did not sleep either. She thought of this new arrival with a mixture of emotions. Puzzlement, anger at his audacity, fear of his fighting prowess, but sympathy for the hardship he must have endured at the hands of the Orcs.

            To be continued. The plot gets more interesting later!


	2. Gorefiend's Return

Danath and Alleria

Chapter 2

            "Hail Lothar!" The cry rung throughout the Azeroth encampment. The legendary knight had returned from yet another battle. He rode toward his aide, the paladin Turalyon. 

            "Greetings," Lothar called to the group of footmen and archers. "I have been forced to retreat by a group of Grunts. Is Colonel Danath present?"

            "He has been missing for two days," the footman Raon told the knight.

            "A group has been dispatched to find him," Turalyon informed his master, "but we have not heard from them."

            Lothar let out a cry of pain.

            "You need healing, Master. Allow me." Turalyon worked his magic upon Lothar, curing the wounds.

            "Thank you, Turalyon." Lothar said. "But your powers are needed for other purposes at the moment. Can you see Danath?"

            "I have tried the Holy Vision and found not a trace of the Colonel."

            "I all but wish the powers of the Ogre-Mages were with us. The Eye of Kilrogg would be most useful." Lothar thought aloud. "Can you find the Orcish camp and tell me what their status is?"

            "I will try." Turalyon rode to his Church, dismounted, and went inside. There he would use the Holy Vision and attempt to locate the Orcs.

**(({{[[--**--]]}}))**

            Lord Khadgar sensed a disturbance. A disturbance within his tower. A disturbance that smelled of Orc. Khadgar replaced his volume of spells on the shelf and drew his staff.

            "Khadgarrrrr…" said a voice. "I have been waiting for this moment for yearrrrrrrrrs… perhaps centuriessssss…" 

            "Who are you?" demanded the archmage. "How have you come here?"

            "I am Gorefiennnnnd…  your liffffe… isssss… forfeit…"

            "How have you come here, so deep in Alliance territory?"

            "I tolllld you… I am Gorefiennnnnnd… My waysssss… are not known to the Alliance… and certainly they are not known… to you, Khadgarrrrrrr…"

            "I know of you, Teron Gorefiend. I was not aware, however, that Death Knights such as you had the power of Invisibility."

            Gorefiend laughed. "I havvve noooo such powerrrrr… but your guardssss… are now my soldiers…" Four skeletons walked into Khadgar's library. Gorefiend glided behind them in the manner characteristic of Death Knights.

            "Gorefiend, your moment will come later. I will kill you, but not now. Be gone, instrument of Ner'zhul! Khadgar cast a blizzard over Gorefiend and his skeletons, who fled lest they be destroyed by the pounding mage-hail.

**(({{[[--**--]]}}))**

            "I have received word from Lord Khadgar. We have a more serious quandary than we thought." The voice was that of Uther Lightbringer, to Kurdran the gryphon rider in his aviary.

            "What seems tae be the problem, lad?" Kurdran replied.

            "Teron Gorefiend has returned. Not only that, General Lothar told us that Colonel Danath is missing."

            "Ach! Do Sky'ree and I have noo part o' this?"

            "Fly to Khadgar's tower to reinforce him. If Gorefiend attempts to invade the tower again, the three of you will be more than enough to stop him."

            "Yes sir!"

            "Oh, one more thing. Your next assignment will be to search for Danath. Dead or alive, the Alliance needs to know his fate."

            "I'll do that!"

            Kurdran mounted Sky'ree and took off for Khadgar's tower.

            More soon!


	3. Abduction, Murder, Mystery and War

Danath and Alleria

Chapter 3

            "This has been a most enlightening experience," Danath told Alleria when they met in the morning, "but I'm afraid I must return to the Alliance. You see, we've been having trouble with the Orcs recently. An invasion of sorts…"

            "I know about the Orcs, Colonel Danath." Alleria interrupted. "I have been fighting the Orcs since your grandfather was in the cradle. I allow you to stay in my wood, I grant you lodging here, and you go running back to your Alliance. No, I am afraid that will not be possible as of yet."

            "The Alliance is powerful, Alleria. They have probably dispatched a search party." He drew his sword. "This sword has killed many Orcs, and I am sure it can kill an equal number of Elves. I _will_ be going. Now."

            Many things now happened.

            Danath walked away from Alleria.

            Alleria motioned to one of her escorts.

            Danath felt a piercing pain in his side. The elf had shot him.

            "You are not going anywhere, Colonel. Guards, confine this man to his tree lodge." Alleria turned away.

**(({{[[--**--]]}}))**

            Uther Lightbringer's head was bowed in grief. A tear fell from the eye of the footman Raon. Kurdran and Lord Khadgar entered the church, both pictures of sadness. The congregation was complete.

            Turalyon began the ceremony.

            "We are gathered here today," he spoke, "to honor the death of a comrade and friend. General Lothar has been killed. Not in the line of duty, as so many of us knew he would. The General was assassinated."

            Gasps of horror came from the group.

            Turalyon continued. "Someone has come in the night and slain our General… our general and my master."

            Even the stern Khadgar was weeping.

            "Although this is a terrible happening, we must dedicate ourselves to finding who has done this thing. Our prime suspect is Teron Gorefiend, the Death Knight who has all too recently been in Azeroth."

            Kurdran's eyes were filled with a rage, a rage with purpose, a fury dedicated to finding Gorefiend and bringing him to death.

            Turalyon had yet more to say. "But Gorefiend could not have perpetrated this deed alone. My friends and companions, I must inform you that _someone in this encampment_ may have helped to murder Lothar. I will not tell you not to grieve, for not grieving is something no man can do. But be alert. Be careful. If I am right, then we must find the killer and bring him to justice.

            "Before you leave, I must say one last thing. Colonel Danath has been missing for three days now. It is possible that he is dead or captured by the Orcs. We may have to hold a service for the Colonel if he does not return soon. You may leave."

            The people left in sorrow.

**(({{[[--**--]]}}))**

            Khadgar trained more Mages to rise against the Death Knights. Kurdran worked twice as hard tending the aviary. The three remaining Keepers of the Alliance continued to work at preparing a force to resist the onslaught of Orcs.

Next chapter coming soon!


End file.
